Budget

USAID partners to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity. We are implementing a new model of development that engages talent and innovation everywhere to achieve extraordinary goals. We're working to change the way development works, with new partnerships, a greater emphasis on innovation, integration with local leadership, and a relentless focus on measuring and delivering results.

THE BUDGET REQUEST WILL ENABLE USAID TO:

Help End Preventable Child Deaths: $2.8 billion for USAID Global Health Programs, which along with State Department Global Health Programs, contributes to global efforts to support three goals: Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths, Creating an AIDS-free generation, and Protecting Communities from Infectious Diseases. We have seen tremendous impact from our programming over the past two years including an eight percent reduction in mortality for children under five years old in our 24 priority countries, saving 500,000 lives.

Ensure Food Security and Progress Towards Ending Hunger: $978 million for the Feed the Future initiative in support of food security and agriculture programs to reduce hunger, extreme poverty, and malnutrition. The request also builds on the President’s G-8 commitment to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition and promotes resilience among populations vulnerable to recurrent food crises. In FY 2013, Feed the Future reached nearly seven million smallholder farmers with new technologies.

Build Resilience to Recurrent Crises Related to Climate Change: $348.5 million for investments through the Global Climate Change initiative to support developing countries best-suited to transition to climate-resilient, low-emissions economic growth—including through the development and implementation of 25 countries' low emissions development strategies. USAID will continue to help vulnerable communities emerge from poverty and cycles of crisis onto pathways towards sustainable development. Climate adaptation actions help countries prevent and become more resilient to future disasters as well as maintain hard-won development gains, contributing to stability and economic growth. USAID’s partners will help local actors engage in their own resilience and sustainable economic growth.

Promote More Democratic Societies and Institutions: $2.4 billion for democracy, human rights, and governance programs with specific increases in Central America, Asia, and Africa to ensure that our development investments are sustainable and transparent. These funds will support the establishment and strengthening of inclusive and accountable democracies to advance freedom, dignity, and development, including our efforts to end extreme poverty.

Improve Prosperity and Economic Growth in Central America: Nearly $500 million to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to advance economic prosperity through reducing poverty, improving education and workforce development, and strengthening resilience in the region. We will provide expertise to governments as they make necessary reforms, scale up proven community-based interventions, and train youth for a 21st century workforce while helping businesses acquire the financial and market access they need to invest and generate economic growth and jobs. This funding is part of the $1 billion request for an inclusive whole-of-government approach to support the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America.

Connect and Empower Africa: $133.9 million to support key commitments and investments in Africa, including Power Africa ($76.7 million) to increase access to reliable, cleaner power for economic growth, as part of the Administration’s expanded $300 million annual commitment; Trade Investment Capacity Building, including Trade Africa and Investment Hubs ($47.2 million), of which $30 million supports the Administration’s $75 million commitment to align, focus, and expand current USG bilateral and regional trade programs in sub-Saharan Africa; and Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) ($10 million), which aims to bring young African leaders to the United States for six weeks of training and provide professional development activities for fellows once they return to the continent.

Enhance Science, Technology, Innovation, Evaluation and Learning, and Partnership: $190.5 million in funding for the Global Development Lab and the Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL) Bureau. Funding for the Lab will enable USAID to source, develop, and scale breakthrough solutions; accelerate the transformation of the U.S. development enterprise leveraging additional outside resources; and improve the sustainability of development interventions by attracting private-sector, market-driven resources. Funding for PPL will strengthen USAID’s policy development and evaluation capacity.

Continue to Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific Region: $687.5 million to support the expansion of efforts to strengthen governance and democratic processes, foster engagement with civil society, and promote rule of law and respect of human rights in the Asia-Pacific region. Other activities will concentrate on economic growth by improving the conditions for competition in the private sector while continuing to support critical trade efforts.

Provide Life-Saving Responses to Areas with the Most Vulnerable Populations: $3.1 billion in USAID-managed humanitarian assistance is provided principally for emergency food supplies and the underlying causes of food insecurity, assistance to internally displaced persons, and victims of conflict and natural disaster. The American people have always been generous in assisting victims of conflict, natural disasters, and forced migration.

Food Aid Reform: The request seeks new authority for Food Aid Reform to provide the flexibility to use up to 25 percent of Food for Peace P.L. 480 Title II resources, valued at $350 million, for cash-based food assistance for emergencies. Emergency food needs have been growing globally, and this will allow USAID to provide more timely and cost effective emergency food aid, improving program performance and impact. It is estimated that this additional flexibility will enable USAID to reach approximately 2 million more people in need annually with the same level of resources.

Support Agency Operations: $1.4 billion in USAID Operating Expenses to sustain ongoing operations, make significant improvements in procurement, local capacity building, innovation, and accountability that USAID Forward reforms have enabled.

CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO A NEW MODEL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND AGENCY-WIDE REFORM

USAID’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget request responds to the critical development challenges of our time. With less than one percent of the federal budget, USAID supports development activities and the experts who are carrying them out every day. Building a better, safer world promotes the dignity and freedom of people everywhere and advances our security and prosperity.